Pall] packing ring

ABSTRACT

A PACKING RING HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL DEFINING AN OPEN SPACE, A FLAP CUT FROM THE WALL AND BENT INWARDLY INTO THE OPEN SPACE AND A TONGUE CUT FROM THE FLAP AND BENT AWAY THEREFROM BUT CONTAINED WITHIN THE WALL.

J. 5. ECKERT Re. 21,2" (FALL) PACKINGBING Nov. 2, 1971 Original FiledMarch 5, 1962 FIG.2

F I G. I

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OHN s. ECKERT BY 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent 27,217 [PALL] PACKINGRING John S. Eckert, Silver Lake, Ohio, assiguor to The United StatesStoneware Company, Tallmadge, Ohio Original No. 3,266,787, dated Aug.16, 1966, Ser. No.

177,577, Mar. 5, 1962. Application for reissue June 28, 1967, Ser. No.653,595

Int. Cl. BOlf 3/04 U.S. Cl. 261-94 5 Claims Matter enclosed in heavybrackets I: appears in the original patent but forms no part of thisreissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additionsmade by reissue.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A packing ring having a peripheral walldefining an open space, a flap cut from. the wall and bent inwardly intothe open space and a tongue out from the flap and bent away therefrombut contained within the wall.

This invention relates to an improved [pall] packing ring to be used aspacking in a gas-and-liquid contact tower.

The most efficient [pall] packing rings compromise [comprise] betweenproviding (1) maximum surface for 'gas-and-liquid contact and maximumdrainage points, and (2) minimum interference to the flow of the gas.They must be strong enough to support the load of a bed of [pall]packing rings above them.

It is known to strengthen a [pall] packing ring by providingcircumferential grooves in its wall. However, it has not beenappreciated that if a [pall] pac'king ring is rolled from a flat strip,one or more concavo-convex circumferential grooves tend to prevent thesheet metal from unrolling. This is true whether the grooves are concaveor convex with respect to the exposed surface of the ring. The groovesneed not be continuous, but parts may be staggered; however, someportion of each edge-to-edge section of the [pall] packing ring isgrooved. The invention includes such grooved rings.

It is known to provide flaps cut from the wall and bent into theinterior of the ring. Rings with such flaps are more efficient thanrings without such flaps, but there is still a large open area withinsuch a ring through which a gas can pass without contacting the ring. Inconsidering the open area [I] do not refer primarily to the impedimentsa gas encounters in flowing in the general direction of the axis of thering, but to impediments encountered by a gas that flows generallyupward through a bed of rings in a tower, the rings being positioned atrandom so that the gas enters the various rings at dilferent angles.

According to this invention, one or more tongues are cut in each flap ofa [pall] packing ring, and these tongues protrude from one or both sidesof the flaps providing additional drainage points for the liquid as wellas presenting a surface for contact by the gas where there previouslyhas been an open space. These tongues lie generally in planesperpendicular to a right cross section of the [pall] packing ring, butthey may be cut at an angle or turned at an angle to provide greatersurface contact with a gas passing axially through the ring. Similarly,the flaps from which the tongues are cut may be cut at an angle orturned at an angle to provide more direct surface contact with a gas.One or more edges of the flat of a [pall] packing ring and/ or one ormore edges of the tongues of a [pall] packing ring with flaps areserrated to provide an increased number of points for the release ofliquid flowing down through the tower. The use of such [pall] packingrings in a tower increases its efficiency because it increases the drippoints which increases the area of the liquid exposed to the gas and thearea of the liquid exposed to the gas within a tower is an importantfactor in determining the extent of the interchange between the gas andthe liquid within the tower.

The invention will be further described in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a [pall] packing ring provided withtongues in the flaps;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of a grooved [pall] packing ring ofmodified form;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of a strip of metal showing more or lessschematically preferred steps in the manufacture of a [pall] packingring; and

FIG. 4 is a portion of a grooved [pall] packing ring with flaps andtongues with serrated edges.

The ring includes flaps 5 cut from the cylindrical wall 6 and a tongue 7cut from each flap. The flaps.and tongues are joined to the wall alonglines 10 and 11, respectively, which are perpendicular to the ends ofthe wall.

FIG. 3 illustrates the preferred method of manufacturing the rings froma strip of any suitable metal. The strip is long enough to form anyrings. First the tongues 7 are cut and bent away from the wall, then theflaps 5 are cut and bent away from the tongue, and then the ring is bentand the strip is cut into lengths, separating the various rings. Theflaps are bent to the interior of the rings, and, in the drawing, eachtongue is bent to the side of its flan which is awa from the wall of thering.

FIG. 2 is identical, except for the concave-convex circumferentialgrooves 20 which reduce or eliminate the tendency of the ring, if ofmetal, from unrolling. Instead of making the grooves convex with respectto the exposed wall of the ring, they may be concave. They increase theelfective thickness of the wall and this reduces or prevents thetendency of the ring to um'oll. This is true whether or not the ringincludes tongues, and whether or not it includes flaps.

FIG. 4 illustrates a [Pall] packing ring with both tongues and flapswith serrated edges. Although the purpose of the serrations is toincrease the drip points, and therefore only the bottom edges need beserrated, it is impossible to predetermine which edge or edges will beat the bottom in a random loading of a tower, so preferably all edgesare serrated. The strength of the ring depends upon the width of theareas 30 from which the flaps are cut. Only certain edges may beserrated or all edges may be serrated.

The word serrated is used herein in its broad sense to include scallopededges, pointed edges, etc.

The number of flaps in a ring may vary, but generally there are three toeight such flaps. These flaps are generally curved somewhat as shown,but may be fiat or other desired shape.

Although the rings are usually made from metal, they may be made fromplastic.

The invention is covered in the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. A metal [pall] packing ring with a flap cut from the wall thereof andbent inward and at least one tongue cut from the flap and bent away fromthe flap but contained within the wall of the ring, the edges of the[flaps and tongues] said flap and said at least one tongue beingserrated, and at least one circumferential concave-convex groove in thewall of the ring, the ring being slit from one edge to the other.

2. A [pall] packing ring with a flap cut from the wall thereof and bentinward and at least one tongue cut from the flap and bent away from theflap but contained within the wall of the ring.

3. A [pall] packing ring with a flap cut from the wall therepf and bentinward, with the line of its joinder to he wall parallel to the axis ofthe ring, and a tongue utfrom the flap and bent away therefrom on theside hereof opposite that of the wall from which the flap is ut, withthe line of joinder of the tongue to the flap tarallel to the axis ofthe ring.

4. A [pall] packing ring with inwardly directed flaps [1 the wallthereof, and a tongue directed away from each lap, at least one edge ofeach tongue being serrated.

5. A packing ring having a periphery defined by a wall urrounding anopen space, at least one cut portion of aid wall bent inwardly of saidperiphery, defining a first urface where previously there had been openspace, :rza' at least one tongue formed from said out portion of vall,bent to provide a second surface within the periphery f said packingring, angularly displaced from said first urface, where previously therehad been open space.

References Cited The following references, cited by the Examiner, are frecord in the patented file of this patent or the original latent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,602,651 7/1952 Cannon 26l-95 3,013,781 12/1961Haselden 202158 X 4 3,151,187 9/1964 Comte 261-98 X 1,503,208 7/1924Prym 261-95 1,610,383 12/1926 Johnson 29534 2,639,909 5/1953 Leva 261952,702,429 2/ 1955 Peters et a1 29534 2,867,425 1/ 1959 Teller 261-95FOREIGN PATENTS 542,902 5/1922 France 261-94 1,130,730 10/1956 France26194 853,159 10/1952 Germany.

139,880 3/ 19-20 Great Britain 261-95 OTHER REFERENCES U.S. StonewareBulletin, TP 54, The US. Stoneware Company, Akron 9, Ohio, copyright1957, p. 11 relied on.

FRANK W. LU'ITER, Primary Examiner

